Software Industry Announcements and News
New software allows up to 50 mouse cursors to collaborate on one desktop
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 06.15.10 under ASP Member Companies, Desktop, Education
Bartels Media GmbH has released MultiMouse, a multi-user Windows application that lets up to 50 users use the mouse and keyboard on their PCs to control the desktop of a central computer. MultiMouse lets users work together on the common desktop of the central PC for training, brainstorming, collaboration, or document building.
Each user moves their mouse cursor out of their desktop to make it automatically appear on the common computer. Each mouse cursor has a customizable name tag, making it easy to know who is pointing to what on the shared computer screen.
Educators and trainers can use MultiMouse to work together with groups of students. MultiMouse turns a static classroom into an interactive learning environment, where each student can participate and contribute with classmates on a common SmartBoard. The teacher can use MultiMouse’s control panel to invite or block individual students.
Project teams can hold meetings that encourage two-way information flow.
Brainstorming increases the flow of fresh ideas, and problems that take weeks to solve in isolation can be solved interactively by the group in hours.
MultiMouse uses the wireless or Ethernet network connection to transmit each user’s mouse position and text input, with no additional hardware required. MultiMouse’s network communications are configured automatically. There’s no need for a network administrator to assign IP addresses or port numbers.
MultiMouse works on any combination of laptops, netbooks, desktops, or tablet PCs running any mix of Microsoft 32 or 64-Bit Windows 2003/XP/Vista/7.
Prices start at $139(US) for a 5-remote-user license, with 25- and 50-user versions available. Teachers are invited to request educational discounts. You can download a trial version of MultiMouse from http://www.multimouse.com/ .
For more information, contact Bartels Media GmbH, Im Treff 20, 54296 Trier, Germany Phone: +49 (651) 999 19-50 Email: info@multimouse.com
Internet: http://www.multimouse.com/.
The Use of Video Conferencing in Education: Benefits and Issues
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 03.17.10 under Education
Yulia Trifonova, the representative of VideoPort, met a technical expert for the International Institute of Economics and Law to discuss the use of video conferencing in distance learning and some issues that may arise.
Lots of people nowadays live in small towns with few or no colleges. This means that if such students want quality higher education, they have to commute or even move to the cities where the best colleges are located. Those who cannot afford it or are simply reluctant to leave their home town may consider distance learning as another option they can use, as it allows them to choose from a wide variety of schools that offer the education students desire and deserve. Technological advances, particularly the introduction of video conferencing to some schools, have made it possible for students to take courses taught by the most well-known professors and lecturers. Yulia Trifonova of VideoPort reports on possible ways of using video conferencing in distance learning and on the problems related to it.
The International Institute of Economics and Law has been using VideoPort SBS Plus video conferencing software application since Oct’09. After three months of successful testing the staff of the Institute has fully appreciated all the benefits of this innovation, as well as the ease of use. Consequently, the academic course schedule for the next semester will be planned to allow for active use of video lectures.
This is how video lecturing works: a lecturer’s monitor displays students located in five different classrooms. Students see the lecturer on screens of their computers. Some inconveniences may arise as students have to follow the lecture looking at their own monitors: the lecturer cannot see their faces, which breaks visual contact with the audience. To resolve this issue, the Institute contemplates equipping classrooms with projectors that would display lecturer for all the students.
At present video lectures are delivered through symmetric video conferences only, since lecturers find it difficult to speak to an audience without visual contact. For the same reason they don’t use asymmetric video conferences that involve up to three broadcasters transmitting their video and audio to all other participants who can only see and listen to them. However, this type of group video conferencing is likely to become widely used for distance learning once teaching staff gets comfortable with it, as it allows having guest speakers from one or more of the distant sites thus offering extended learning opportunities.
In addition to video conferencing capabilities, distance learning can be enhanced with the use of collaboration tools, such as electronic whiteboard and slide show presentations. Moreover, students can ask the professor questions using not only a microphone, but also an integrated chat system.
One of the aspects of educational video conferencing yet to be explored is related to the copyright law. This law is applicable to cases when lectures are recorded by students. Since it is planned to introduce some changes into this field of legislation, it may cause unforeseen difficulties in the future.
The Institute administration is certain that videoconferencing in distance education shows potential, being beneficial for both staff and students. While distance education offers any student access to the almost unlimited number of options, videoconferencing allows dramatically improving the quality of the chosen course.
About VideoPort LLC
VideoPort is a company focused on the development and production of video conferencing software solutions and systems. The company also provides video conferencing services, such as http://www.zoomcall.com. For more information, please visit the company web-site at http://video-port.com.
Creating Even the Most Sophisticated Tests Is a Snap with Adit Testdesk
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 02.10.10 under Education
Adit Software has announced the newest version of Adit Testdesk, the full-featured software enabling a user to create and run tests, and to analyze test results. Adit Testdesk 2.0 provides the host of new features and improvements to facilitate building and grading tests, from basic surveys to sophisticated exams. Those familiar with Office 2007 will get instantly comfortable with the program thanks to the new user interface.
Powerful yet intuitive, the program allows creating a new test, exam or quiz quickly and easily. Designed to streamline building tests for almost any purpose, Adit Testdesk supports four types of tests: survey, assessment test (with advanced scoring available), personality test, and script type featuring advanced scripts for grading. What’s more, the software gives users the capability of creating paper-based tests, so that they could enjoy the benefits of computer-based design to the fullest.
Adit Testdesk offers a whole variety of question types, including grid and matching questions, spoken response and file upload questions, flash and draw questions, and many more. While the wide range of question types ensures that you can create a truly comprehensive test, the built-in feature-rich text editor allows giving your tests modern and professional look.
New to this release are test variables, allowing a user to further customize tests and create advanced grading scenarios. Developed to give you more flexibility, test variables can be employed to personalize tests through adding name, contact information, and so on. You can also use variables to display or hide any part of the test if certain conditions are met.
Adit Testdesk simplifies testing, providing the comprehensive set of tools to guide you step by step through the process – from building and running a test to grading it and analyzing the results – and make it easy and enjoyable for you.
Pricing and Availability
Adit Testdesk is compatible with Microsoft Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 2008 and Windows 7, and the Standard Edition of the program costs $69.00 for a single user license. Apart from the Standard Edition Adit Software offers Professional, Enterprise, Standard Server, Professional Server, Enterprise Server and Secure Server Editions. Licensed users are entitled to maximum priority technical support and 12 months of free upgrades. Further information on features and pricing of the product is available at www.aditsoftware.com
About Adit Software
Founded in 2005, Adit Software is the software development company focused on providing quality testing solutions. For more information, please visit www.aditsoftware.com
Supermarket Management: Run a Store and Make Your Way to the Top!
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 05.29.09 under Education, Games & Entertainment
Playful Age has announced the release of Supermarket Management, a new captivating time management game. The fascinating supermarket simulator offers first-hand experience of providing top notch customer service, managing the store and making your way to the top.
In Supermarket Management you take the role of Kate, the ambitious and enterprising recent college graduate who has just got a job in the Superstore Chain. The goal of the game is to earn money, upgrade the store, use little marketing tricks to boost income and work your way up from a shop assistant to an experienced manager.
Read the rest of this entry…
SharewareJunkies.com reviews Po Bros Inc’s Word Em
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 04.25.09 under Desktop, Education, Games & Entertainment
Word Em for Win 98/ME/XP/2000 by Po Bros Inc was given 5 Stars in all categories by SharewareJunkies.com reviewer Stormy Strock. Word Em is a word game where blocks fall from the top of the playing field like in Tedris. The biggest difficulty. [which will keep the adults playing] is that you must make a 6 letter word to change levels. BUT all of the blocks used in this word must be of the same color. Wicked, huh?
To read the complete review go to:
http://www.sharewarejunkies.com/09awy04/word_em.htm
SharewareJunkies.com reviews Spb Software’s Spb Insight
[ Comments Off ] Posted on 04.19.09 under ASP Member Companies, Audio & Multimedia, Desktop, Education
Spb Insight for Win Mobile/Smartphone by Spb Software was given 5 Stars in all categories by SharewareJunkies.com reviewer Joe Tex. Spb Insight is software for viewing news that is broadcast over the internet on your PDA or other Windows Mobile device. Joe says If you want to read news on your PDA or Smartphone go get Spb Insight. He guarantees you will like it.
To read the complete review go to:
http://www.sharewarejunkies.com/09awy04/spb_insight.htm